Fix You
by Jonaleepuff
Summary: DoctorClaire. Mentions of DoctorElli and GrayClaire. Certain neuroses can be addressed and pills can be prescribed, but sometimes people require a lot more than medical attention. Two seasons had passed since Claire moved into Mineral Town and she never visited the Clinic. Trent had to wonder, how rude was she?
1. Vanished?

**Vanished?**

_Doctor Trent's POV**  
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I looked at the clock and sighed impatiently. Business at the clinic was unusually slow for the day. Not one person had come by. Not even Jeff who usually came twice a day regarding his stomach aches. I refrained myself from giving another sigh and forced myself to continue reading my periodical. I didn't even finish a page before the sound of a ceramic mug being placed on the table derailed my train of thought. I peered into the mug at the murky brown liquid curiously, and then wandered upwards. It was none other than my receptionist, Elli.

"Milk coffee," she smiled. "Two sugars."

I was about to open my mouth to begin lecturing the unhealthiness of too much sugar—something she had heard many occasions prior—but I chose to opt out of the usual routine. Instead, I took the mug in my hands. "Thank you."

"It's no problem," she replied. After an extended period of silence, she added, "The abandoned farm."

I lifted an eyebrow in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"Um, I mean...did you meet the new farmer yet? I heard she moved here back in spring to take over the abandoned farm."

"Not yet. She's rather rude, isn't she?" I murmured. I wasn't particularly fond of this so-called _new_ farmer and I hadn't even met her yet. It was already two seasons since she moved to Mineral Town and she didn't even have the decency to introduce herself properly.

Elli saw the annoyance in my eyes and smiled. "Now, now...that's not a nice thing to say. She's very friendly. I'm sure she has a good reason why she hasn't come by. She seemed fairly busy when I ran into her at the supermarket a few days ago."

"Excuses," I muttered darkly before standing from the seat and walking to the front window of the clinic. Elli sighed. She knew I had strict mannerisms due to the way I was raised, but I suppose she still wasn't used to it. Maybe she never would be. "Unusually quiet today, isn't it?"

She nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, it is. I suppose it's a myth when they say colds are more common in fall and winter."

The tips of my fingers touched the cool glass. We stood in silence as I watched the raindrops race down the window. Judging by the sun's location I assumed there was at least an hour left before we could close up. "You can take the rest of the day off."

"No, it's okay. I want to stay here with you."

"I insist. You deserve it."

I caught her reflection in the window and noticed the fallen expression on her face. I knew she wanted to stay even before I suggested she leave, but there was no point. Her eyes wandered to the clock that hung on the wall. "I understand."

I heard her feet shuffle towards her desk and seconds later she passed me by bidding a _see you tomorrow_. Once she left, I finished the coffee and walked towards the desk; deciding to finish reading for the day. Now that I was alone, I was free to let my thoughts roam.

The lack of business for the clinic worried me. I wasn't worried about going bankrupt due to the fact that the town funded the clinic, but I disliked making Elli stay when there was nothing to do. I resisted the idea of a receptionist when I came from the city a few years ago to open the clinic. The town was tiny and I was confident I could handle anything on my own.

My first patient was her grandmother, Ellen. I visited her house quite frequently which is how I met Elli. She was a friendly girl, just shy of her seventeenth birthday. Overtime Ellen told me of Elli's feelings for me, but the age gap between us intimidated me. I was twenty-two and I had just finished a four-year intensive course for medicine—she was still a girl. She didn't know what she wanted and neither did I.

I jumped at a sudden banging on the door and I instantly knew it was an emergency. Rushing to the door, I flicked the doorknob open and saw the pink-haired chicken farmer along with the red-headed barmaid soaked from head to toe supporting an unconscious blonde.

Popuri seemed to be having difficulty supporting the weight, so I rushed to her side to take over. "What happened?"

"W-We found her...passed out in front of the mine." Popuri answered, having to stop to catch her breath several times.

We rushed inside the clinic and placed her on the patient bed. I checked her vital signs. She was still breathing, but color was drained from her face. I could tell it had been a few hours before Ann and Popuri stumbled across her.

A good hour elapsed and thanks to the two females, we put the blonde in clean, dry clothes and tucked her back into bed.

"Is she going to be alright?" Ann worried.

I closed the blue curtain to let the patient rest. They were good friends, sticking around until they heard the diagnosis. "She's going to be fine; she just needs some rest. It's a good thing you two found her when you did. Now you should head home and dry yourselves off. It would be a shame if you caught pneumonia due to this."

Popuri shook her head, but Ann nodded hers. "You're right...Call me if anything happens. Let's go Popuri."

Wordlessly, Popuri nodded her head and followed Ann out the door. Now alone, I entered the resting ward and studied the blonde whose name I still didn't know. She was attractive, delicate features like high-cheekbones and long-slender fingers. She was too fragile to be working on a farm. Women had no business being farmers, it was dangerous work.

I covered her more with the thick wool blanket and watched her sleep. She looked peaceful, now that more color was returning to her face. When I was sure she would be all right, I locked the clinic, headed upstairs and went to bed.

The next morning came around and after I got ready for another day of work, I walked down the stairs to check on her. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the bed was...empty. I quickly scanned the clinic. There were no signs of a break-in of any sort—I made sure to lock the front door before I went to bed. Where did she go? Did she simply get up and leave without telling me?

"What the hell."


	2. Not A Ghost

**Not a Ghost**

_Claire's POV_

What felt like minutes must have been hours because when I woke up on a stiff bed. The lights were on, which was weird since I always slept with the lights off. When my eye sight focused, I saw I wasn't at home. Where was I? The blue curtains…the white sheets…was I in the clinic? Who brought me here? It seemed like just minutes ago I was mining, but here I was in the…clinic. Immediately I jumped out of bed, grabbed my shoes and ran out the door.

I was glad to be home when I woke up the next morning. I didn't know who brought me to the clinic, but I'm sure they had the best intentions. They just didn't…know.

Sighing, I buried my face into my pillow. My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knocking. I got up from the bed and made my way to the door. The second I turned the knob, I was ambushed by Ann and Popuri.

"Thank Goddess you're okay!" Ann shouted. "I heard from the clinic you went missing!"

"Oh…so it was you two." That made a lot of sense. Since they usually walked to the Spring every morning they must have seen me there. "I didn't _go missing_. I just left right away."

This time it was Popuri that spoke. "We found you passed out! What were you doing out there?"

"I need to upgrade my axe if I want to get rid of that hideous stump on my farm. I was getting tired, so I decided to turn back for the day…Guess I blacked out right when I reached the exit." I sighed. As much as I appreciated these guys for caring, I hated the third degree that came with it.

Ann gave me a smoldering look. "You should've taken my brother with you. I'm sure he would have said yes."

I rolled my eyes. "The whole point of me going alone is so I don't bother him. He has enough to deal with, working with your Grandpa and all."

Then suddenly, the door swung open and a certain red-headed boy joined us.

"Speak of the devil." Popuri giggled.

"Claire, what happened? Are you alright? I heard you passed out yesterday. Why didn't you tell me you were mining? You know it's dangerous and—"

"Gray," I interrupted. "It's not a big deal."

His eyes filled with anger and I knew how this would end. "What do you mean it's not a big deal?"

"Well," Ann started, "We're clearly not a part of this, so we'll be going now." Within seconds, Ann and Popuri were gone.

Gray stayed silent. I had seen this look on his face before. It was his pouty-how-could-you expression that he gave me subconsciously. He was trying to guilt me…and it was working.

"I'm sorry I went out alone," I murmured. I absolutely hated giving in, but I hated arguing with Gray more. Especially when I knew he meant well. "Next time I go out I'll let you know."

His shoulders slumped and he let out a small sigh. "Okay…Sorry I got mad…I just…don't know what I would do without you."

My face flushed at his comment and he hid under the bill of his cap as usual. "You're making too much of it. I'm sure you'd be fine without me."

He rubbed the back of his head. "Anyways, you shouldn't have left like that; the Doctor and Elli are worried about you. You should probably go over to apologize later."

"I don't want to."

"Fine…just…give him something, would you?"

I murmured a 'fine' and began rummaging through my fridge. I didn't have much around this time of year; jst some eggplants, truffles and mushrooms. "What's a good gift anyway? How about this?"

He gave me a weird look. "Milk? That's kinda…strange. Can't you cook something?"

"I just got my kitchen built. I don't have any cooking supplies yet."

"Milk it is," he replied, then took the glass jar out of my hand. "I'll deliver it tomorrow since the clinic is closed today. Just rest today, okay?"

"Yes, boss."

Before he left, he ruffled his hand through my hair and smiled.

_Doctor Trent's POV_

Annoyed. Very annoyed. It was apparent that among having no manners, the woman lacked a sense of consideration. A patient of mine…running away like a fugitive. It was clear she harbored issues of some sort. I realized I had mixed emotions about the entire situation. As upset as I was at the manner, I was a tad bit worried. The morning after she left, it was like nothing happened. The bed was made, her shoes were gone. Perhaps she was a ghost—a mere fragment of my imagination. The only real evidence I had was her clothes. It seemed she escaped wearing a pair of the clinic's sleepwear.

It was a Wednesday afternoon and I was walking to Mother's Hill to collect herbs when I caught glimpse of her. She seemed to be healthy—after all, she was wading through the lake knee-deep looking for something. I didn't want to approach her, especially after last week's episode. There was no way I would make the first move. I carefully kept my back to her as I scoured through the tall grass.

"Excuse me! Can you give me a hand?" Her voice called out. I frowned; looks like I had no choice but to talk to her. Then, just as quickly as the frown came on my face, I put on a smile.

"With what?" I asked flatly.

"Collecting rocks," she replied instantly, "I'm trying to make my fish pond look prettier."

I felt my mask slipping. "Why on earth would you—"

"My wallet, silly! I was fishing when I felt this really strong tug, so I started to reel it in but then my wallet fell out of my pocket into the lake."

"Fascinating story." I said with raised eyebrows.

"So will you help me?"

I reluctantly took off my shoes, rolled up the hem of my pants and joined her in the lake. I resented the girl for her lack of manners, but unfortunately I was a gentleman. I never refused to help a lady in need. I cannot strain the word unfortunately enough. "What does it look like?"

"It's a round pink coin purse with a key attached to it."

"So you lost your house keys too." I muttered.

"By the way, I don't think we've met before. I'm Claire."

She smiled at me, which I found extremely unsettling. "I'm Trent." I answered after a moment's hesitation.

"I wonder why we haven't crossed paths before." She chuckled. Before I could open my mouth to form a retort, she suddenly exclaimed, "I found it!"

Sure enough, I looked to her hand and caught the shine from her house key. I quickly got out of the lake and stood on the grass. "That's good."

"Looks like everything's all wet though." She sighed.

I shook my head. "But what's more important is that you found it."

She nodded her head. "Yeah. Thank you."

I stared at her quizzically. I didn't find the purse. There was no real reason for her to thank me. "For what?"

It seemed that my question only made her smile more. "For helping. Looks like you were my lucky charm. Oh! It's already three, I have to get going. I'll see you around sometime!"

I could only watch in silence as she walked away.

_Gray's POV_

It took me one hour to get my nerve up to go to the clinic and see the Doctor. I avoided going to the clinic unless I was deathly ill, which wasn't often and I didn't really like him all too much. He wasn't a bad guy, the opposite really. I've seen him on several occassions. In the clinic, at a festival, sometimes with Ann and sometimes alone. It took me awhile to realize that he never smiles. Sure he made those polite _how-are-you-today_ smiles, but it was never a real one.

As much as I didn't want to see him, it was for Claire and I would have to tough it out. I shuffled into the clinic and went straight into his office, giving Elli a nod of acknowledgement on my way in.

"May I help you?" He asked stoically.

I grabbed the beak of my baseball cap, something Claire disliked and told me I should stop doing. "This is…hard for me to say, but…thank you for taking care of Claire."

He gave me a weird look. "Claire? Oh, the blonde."

"Yeah…" I said quietly. "I heard Popuri and Ann brought her here last night."

He turned back to his desk and began writing in his notebook. "Yes, they did. I can't say I'm all too pleased about it. She took off before the sun came up."

"She's…like that." I murmured. "She doesn't like hospitals all too much. I should've been here when she woke up."

His lack of words caused me to shift uncomfortably. The truth is that I was sure this was the longest I had ever spoken to him one-on-one. "Are you two…?"

I didn't know what to say at first. The truth was, I did like Claire a lot, but we never spoke of our relationship. Were we friends? Something more? What if she friend-zoned me without my even knowing? "N-No, it's nothing like that. I mean…I don't know."

Suddenly, he closed his notebook and turned to me. "I see. No apology necessary. I was merely doing my job."

I nodded and then remembered the reason why I was here in the first place. "Oh! Uh, here. She wanted me to give this to you."

I took the bottle of milk from my pocket and handed it to him. He stared at it for a few seconds. Then he smiled. It wasn't one of those smiles he gave on occassions, but this one tugged at the corner of his lips. It was like he was trying not to, but couldn't help it.

There it was: his real smile.

"Thank you. Oh, please give her this." Then he got up from the desk and went to grab something upstairs. When he returned, he held at pile of folded laundry to me. Was it…her clothes?

"Um…th-thanks?" I said as I took it from his hands. I assume it was from the night before, but if that was the case…then was he the one that undressed her? I could feel a knot twisting in my stomach. This must be how Jeff feels.

"I wasn't the one who did it," he sighed, reading my obvious uneasiness. "Popuri and Ann did the work when they brought her over."

I finally exhaled. "Oh, I see…thanks again."

And who would've known…that a jar of milk could signal the beginning of the end.


	3. Moon Viewing Festival

**Moon-Viewing Festival**

_Elli's POV_

It was the end of fall and the Moon-Viewing festival was drawing near. Every year I asked Trent it he would like to go, but he always to turn me down. It was always subtle; always '_I have to work late'_ or '_I'm getting too old for that sort of thing'._ I was determined to get him to agree this year. After all, I was getting older too. I couldn't afford another year of rejection.

This year, however, I had a great idea. I wrote a letter, asking him to meet me at the top of Mother's Hill at 6PM. I made sure not to sign my name, leaving it anonymous.

I flipped the _open _sign to _closed_ and walked to his office. Each step caused my heart to beat even faster than I thought was possible. What would he say? Would he just smile and nod his head? Would he frown at me being too forward?

I watched him from a distance first. He was reading another periodical. He was always so serious; so strait-laced. Though others saw that as a bad thing, I thought it was incredibly likeable. I admired everything about him; the way he looked when he was so deep in thought, the way he was always so clumsy in the morning. There was nothing that I didn't love. I approached him cautiously. "D—Doctor."

He set his clipboard down and turned to face me. "Yes, Elli?"

I took a step forward. My palms began to sweat and I'm sure my voice faltered, but I managed to speak up. "You have a letter."

His hand grasped the piece of paper and he exerted only a small amount of force to pull it away from me. "Thank you."

With my heartbeat pounding in my ears, I waited to see if he would open and read it right away. He returned my stare questioningly. "W—Well then!" I stammered, "I'll be heading home now See you…tomorrow!"

"Yes, thank you for your work today." He replied with the nod of his head.

Once I left the clinic I let out a sigh of relief. The easy part was over. Now came the hard part…to see if he would show up or not.

_Mary's POV_

—_he manages to tell her he kind of, sorta, might just be__…completely head-over-heels in love with her too._

I set my favorite pen down and stared at the piece of paper. Finally it was done, I sighed. I glanced at the clock anxiously. It was already a quarter after two. No one had come by the library today and as much as I wanted to call it strange—it wasn't. The truth was, he barely visited at all since he became friends with Claire.

The Moon-Viewing Festival was today and I wasn't really looking forward to it. Every year I went and waited on Mother's Hill and every year he wouldn't come. Not only did he never come to Mother's Hill…now he wasn't coming to the library. Then again, what did I expect?

I'm what you would call a _wallflower_. I've never said anything out of line, never stood up for myself, never stayed in the spotlight. My life was full of unspoken words and backstage lighting. I could never bring myself to ask Gray if he would like to accompany me to Mother's Hill. I always hoped one day he would show up by chance and I could finally tell him how I really feel.

Maybe today would be that day.

_Gray's POV_

I stood outside of her farm for what seemed like hours, but in reality it was probably just a few minutes. I wanted to ask her to go with me, but that wasn't how it was normally done. The whole point of this festival was to wait and see who shows up; see who cares for you the most. I glanced at my watch. I had been standing around for sixteen minutes now. Screw tradition, I thought bitingly. It's now or never.

I managed to reach her front door before my nerves got a hold of me again. What if she said no? It was her first year in Mineral Town and I wasn't sure if she had even heard of the festival. She was always bent on making more money than taking in the sights of this place, so it was a possibility. I braced myself and knocked on her door twice.

There was no answer. I knocked again. Maybe she wasn't home.

"Coming!"

A few seconds later the door opened and I felt my heart leap into my throat. She had nothing on…but a bathrobe. "Hi, Gra—"

I turned around and tried to make a run for it. "S-Sorry! I'll come back at another time."

She stopped drying her hair long enough to grab my arm and reply with, "Hey Gray! Don't be silly. Come in, I just need to get dressed."

I walked in and she closed the door behind me. I took a seat at her dining table as she walked back to the bathroom. "Did you want anything to drink?"

Calm down, calm down, I told myself. Jeez, what is wrong with my chest? It won't stop pounding. "What do you have?" I asked, trying to clear my thoughts of her half-nakedness.

"Well, besides water I have some tomato juice, pineapple juice, apple juice, milk…"

The word milk struck a nerve and I thought back to the last time I was at the clinic. The smile that killed me. "You know what, I think I'll pass."

As I sat alone waiting for her I wondered when I knew I wanted her to only look at me. When exactly did I started to fall for her? When did I start feeling things I never knew existed? The moment she came into the room and smiled at me I knew exactly when that was. It was the first time she smiled at me like that. I knew then and there what it was like to be in love.

"So what do I owe this visit to?" She asked while grabbing a drink for herself.

"Well…today is the Moon Viewing festival and I was wondering…If you wanted…"

"You're murmuring," she frowned with distaste.

I tugged at the edges of my sleeves and with my heartbeat drowning out my thoughts I managed to ask, "W-Would you like to go with me to the Moon Viewing festival tonight?"

She sat across from me and smiled brightly. "Sure."

_Doctor Trent's POV_

5:45PM. I read the letter again. _6PM_. I appeared to be early. Another curse of my upbringing; I was early to everything I attended. The sound of shuffling came up from behind me and when I turned around I was at a loss at words.

It was…Claire.

Was it really her that wrote this letter? She was the one that wanted to meet me? Part of me was confused, while the other part was anxious. After our last meeting I managed to stop disliking her. I wrote off her odd behavior as a kind of neurosis. As much as I refused to say it, the girl had something about her.

"It's you."

"It's me." She replied. The lightness in her tone made me assume she was smiling. "Looks like I came early."

I stayed perfectly still as she walked towards me. "What do you mean?"

"Well...the festival doesn't officially start for another fifteen minutes. Do you mind if I take a seat?"

"N-No," I stammered. After an extended period of silence, I added, "So…tell me about yourself."

"What do you want to know?"

"I don't know. How about where you grew up."

I watched as she looked to the distant darkening sky, and then focused back on me. "I used to live in the city with my brother Well…a step brother. My mom died when I was little so it was just me and my dad. A few years later he remarried and I met Jack."

"But?"

"How did you know I was going to say 'but'?"

"I could hear it in your tone."

"_But_," she continued, "Jack's health wasn't the best…he was sick most of the time so we never played outside."

"What did he have?" I asked suddenly. She looked at me with an expression that asked _does it really matter_. I shook my head, cursing my habits. "Sorry…"

"You know what," She stalled. "How about we change the subject? Now, tell me about you."

"Where do I start?" I thought aloud. "I grew up in the city as well. I studied medicine there before coming here to manage the clinic. My father is old friends with the Mayor and he wanted to do him a favor by taking care of Mineral Town's villagers. Look like I was part of that favor."

She made a _hmm_ noise. "Do you miss the city?"

I thought about it before answering. I did miss it, after all it was my home but I became accustomed to this town. "Yes and no. I miss the places. I don't miss the pace. Everything was so hustle-bustle and here it feels like I can relax...Do you miss it?"

"I've thought of that a lot recently. Actually…I still don't have an answer, sorry." She laughed.

Then there was silence. I felt the wind pick up causing her to cross her arms. I watched her stare off into the distance. She looked so lovely. So lost. "What are you thinking of?"

"I'm wondering why you make me feel so odd," she told me with simple frankness. She smiled, and I noticed that it grew in her eyes seconds before it grew on her mouth.

"Do I?" I smiled, enjoying the information. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead." She replied, leaning forward.

"Why didn't you come—"

"Did you wait long?" Another voice asked. We both looked back in unison to see Gray standing behind us. He wore his usual attire; I suppose he had just finished working at the blacksmith shop.

"Gray, you startled me!" Claire said, then looked back at me. "No, not at all! Trent here was keeping me company."

He extended towards her and helped her up. "Yeah, I see. Wanna go?"

Now standing up, Claire nodded her head. Then, she seemed to remember I would be left alone. "Oh, it looks like your date isn't here yet. Did you want to join us while you wait?"

Part of me wanted to say yes just so I could be with her longer, but I knew Gray wouldn't like that. "No, that's perfectly fine. Thank you for the offer, Claire."

"Oh yeah…I saw Elli walking on my way here." He said before ushering her away. "Let's go, Claire."

"Okay. See you later, Trent!" She called back. "It was nice talking to you."

I watched as they walked towards the other side of Mother's Hill. I silently cursed my luck. What was I feeling? Was this…disappointment? Was I really hoping she was the one that wrote me that letter? I knew all along it couldn't have been her. I hardly knew the girl and yet here I was…disappointed and alone.

"I hope Claire wasn't too much of a bother to you." I looked up to see Gray standing in front of me.

I quickly hid the crestfallen expression on my face. "Of course not. She—"

"This is the last time I'll say thank you," he warned, "Enjoy your evening with Elli."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> The first line in Mary's POV is from** stardust and high class scene**'s fanfic: _city of lights_. Read it. It's amazing. Also, reviews are love. Happy New Year!


	4. Splash!

**Splash!_  
><em>**

_Claire's POV_

The Moon Viewing Festival was over and I had mixed emotions about the event. I heard stories from Ann that if you go to Mother's Hill in the evening, the first person you see is the one you're meant to be with. I saw...Trent of all people. A guy I barely knew. The second my eyes landed on him my heart skipped a beat. Did he like me? I knew all the guys in the village except for him. I managed to push Ann's superstition out of my head enough for us to chat a bit. He was an okay guy; a bit guarded at times. Once Gray came we moved to the other side of the hill.

After that the atmosphere between us was unusually tense. We didn't talk much, which never happened except for when we argued. A few minutes later, I heard other people join us. It was Elli, followed by Karen and Rick. Elli took a seat nervously beside Trent. She made a small comment that I couldn't quite make out and he chuckled. Elli really liked him—it was obvious to everyone in the village. She was such a nice person. What did Trent do, anyway? I'd never seen him around town minus the pond incident. Was he a drifter?

I spent the night with these questions floating in my mind. The next morning I woke up...two hours late.

"Oh no, it's already 8AM!"

Instantly, I scrambled out of bed and got ready. The onion and carrot seeds I planted should have ripened. I stepped out of the door and instantly began harvesting them. There were a total of eight patches and I still had the green pepper and eggplant patches to water. After this I had planned to head to the mountains to forage for truffles. Farm work was tiring no doubt, but rewarding once it paid off. It took me nearly two hours to get everything done. Once it was done, I took a little breather by lying on the grass and watching the clouds roll by.

"Excuse me."

I tilted my head upwards and saw Trent standing above me. "Hi Trent, what brings you here?"

"Just visiting," he responded lightly.

"It's nice of you to come by," I smiled while wiping my brow with my sleeve and sitting up. "Actually, I'm heading to the mountains to go gather some truffles. Did you want to come with?"

He seemed to weigh his options, which made me wonder why he really did come here. "Sure."

I got up from the grass, dusted my overalls off and started walking down the farm with him following closely.

The first few minutes were silent. I decided I would have to be the first to speak otherwise we might spend the entire day in silence. "How was your date with Elli?"

"I don't know if you could qualify a Festival as a date."

His tone was cold and I knew right away he didn't feel the same way about her. If anything he seemed...indifferent. Once we reached the mountains, something across the pond caught my eye.

"Look at that!" I said, pointing to a huge truffle. "You know how much Zach will pay me for that? I gotta have it!"

"You shouldn't do that," Trent warned, "It's getting cold this time of year."

I kicked my shoes off, rolled up the hem of my pants and stepped into the pool. The water was a tad bit cold, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. "Don't be a baby. I never get sick."

"I'm serious. You could catch pneumonia."

I ignored his scolding and took a step forward. "Oh wait, what's this?" I asked, leaning to get a closer view of something in the pond.

"What?"

"This." I repeated, pointing down into the pond. I waited until he leaned in before I dipped my hand completely in, then brought it back to splash him again.

"What the hell are you—!"

When I saw him start to take off his shoes, I tried to run to the other side of the pond bursting with laughter. "Catch me if you can!"

To my surprise, he actually ran into the water after me. I was fast, but he was faster. I could chalk it up to his drifter experience, I suppose.

I shrieked as he grabbed a hold of my hand and spun me towards him. "Don't you ever listen?" I only laughed more at his seriousness and began splashing him with my free hand. Eventually he grabbed my other wrist and pinned both hands to my side. His stare was paralyzing and even with the distance between us I could feel his breath. I barely knew him, but my heart was still racing.

He was on another level of handsome. His dark hair glistened in the sun and those unreadable eyes captivated me. I felt a slight tinge in my cheeks at the close proximity of our faces as well as a shortness of breath. What was happening to me? I tried to pull my arms away, but his grip tightened and I was suddenly powerless. Was he angry at me for splashing him?

I opened my mouth to say something, I was silenced by his lips against mine.

_Mary's POV_

I wish I could say I was surprised when I laid eyes on Claire and Gray last night...but I wasn't. I knew how he fell for her. He didn't seem to think anyone was on to him, but everyone could feel it. He always brushed it off like they were just friends, but his expression always told me he wanted to be more. More than just friends; just like I wanted to be. Once I caught glimpse of them together, I promptly turned around and went home. I knew then and there where I stood. That's why nothing surprised me more than when Gray came to visit me at the library and invited me out for a walk.

"What's the special occasion?" I asked meekly.

He adjusted his cap. "No occasion. I just felt like clearing my head." I noticed right away that he looked exhausted. Whatever it was really had him bogged down.

"Did you go to the Moon Viewing Festival last night?" I asked suddenly, surprising myself.

He looked to the side feigning interest in some scenery. "Yeah, for a bit. It was so cloudy that you could only see the moon for a while." Then he turned to me. "I didn't see you there, though. I thought you went every year?"

A small sense of joy overcame my. Gray remembered I went the other years? He actually looked for me? "Oh, I uh...had other plans with my family." I lied.

His eyes wandered away again. "It's okay. It wasn't as great as I thought it'd be."

Bitterness. It was unmistakeable. Did something happen between the two of them last night? The sound of splashing and laughter caught us off guard. It was early in the day, so there normally weren't people here. It sounded like...Claire? I noticed Gray's expression change and he suddenly stepped lively, practically running ahead of me.

"Gray, wait!"

I wasn't used to running; I tried to avoid it as much as possible. I never knew he could run as fast as he did. Once I turned the corner I saw Doctor Trent and Claire...kissing.


	5. Happenstance

**Happenstance  
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_Trent's POV_

I let my breath sync with hers and before I could come to grips with the reality of the situation I was too far gone. Her lips fell flush directly against mine, her breath tasting like things I forgotten existed. Things like urgency and lust. I snaked my arm around her, wanting too much for my own good. My free hand found the back of her head and I stroked her hair gently, applying more pressure into the kiss. I only managed to regain my composure when I felt her breath catch.

I've had the occasional girlfriend before, but I never made it a habit of becoming romantically involved with someone I hardly knew. Yet Claire ignited something in me that I'd never felt before. It took me a moment to recognize it. Passion.

Reluctantly, I drew away enough to catch myself. "I…" I started, not quite knowing what I wanted to say. What just happened? Why did I do that? Her sapphire eyes watched me as if she were reading my thoughts and waiting for an explanation.

My eyes stayed on hers for a brief moment before wandering from hers downwards to her mouth. I studied it's shape and remembered how it felt against mine. Immediately I felt the need to taste her again. I opened my mouth to offer an explanation, but I was speechless.

There was shuffling in the distance; the distinct sound of footsteps a few feet away. "I—I have to go," she murmured. I felt her leave my grasp and could only watch as she scurried across the pond, uprooted the truffle and put her shoes back on before leaving.

Now completely alone, I sighed and looked down into the pond I stood in. I saw something shimmering and reached and pulled it out of the water.

I studied it carefully. I knew what it was: her keys.

_Claire's POV_

Trent stared at me for what felt like minutes. I searched his eyes for an answer. He was so unreadable all the time. What was he thinking? His eyes drifted carelessly down to my mouth and I squirmed under his stare. His mouth parted slightly, only to close again. It looks like I wasn't the only one looking for words.

Footsteps. Someone was here.

"I—I have to go," I stammered. I held my breath as I wadded through the pond to pick the truffle I was eying. I could feel his gaze on me while doing so. _Please don't fall, please don't fall_, I pleaded to myself quietly. The last thing I needed was to make a fool of myself, as if I hadn't done that already.

I made it out without tripping and put my shoes on without looking back at him. I left before he could utter another word.

My mind was in such a panic that I couldn't tell if I was running or walking anymore. I didn't know why he did that. I barely knew who he was, but my heart was pounding uncontrollably. As I made my way down the trail towards the hot springs, I heard Mary's voice shout in the distance, "Gray!"

Was Gray there? Did he see what happened? I quickened my pace and caught a glimpse of him walking towards Gotz's house. Mary chased after him, only a few steps behind. I felt a lump in my throat. He had the same look on his face as when he got into a fight with his grandpa. It wasn't an expression of anger—but of sadness.

He saw it.

_Gray's POV_

Claire stood there with her arms at her sides. I watched in silence as he pulled away from her. His arm was still around her, holding her close. She stood there, wide-eyed, staring at him without a clue as to what to say. I'd never seen her like that before. She had a smart mouth and a quick temper. She always knew what to do in any given situation and seeing her like this just angered me. Knowing that I wasn't the one to make her feel this way was too much.

I turned away quickly and started walking back towards town. Shock hit me and I felt it wave through my body, leaving me trembling. I started to run.

I took the long way around her farm. I couldn't handle it—seeing anything that reminded me of Claire hurt. Instead I took the long route before I reached the Inn. I went straight up the stairs, ignoring Ann's greeting and when I reached my room I locked myself in.

What was happening? I wondered, throwing myself onto the lumpy mattress. My lungs felt like they were burning. Did I run the whole way back? I buried my face in my pillow and tried steadying my breath. Claire hated the clinic; she hated anything associated with it. She refused to meet the Doctor because of that. Now she was what, on good terms with him? No, kissing him? What the hell was going on?

When I slowed my breathing, I took a deep breath. I hated it; knowing I wasn't her first, knowing I had so much time and still couldn't do anything right.

"Gray?" I sat upright. I forgot Mary was with me. She must've seen everything: the kiss, me running off. "Are you okay?" Her voice was light and careful like she knew everything that was racing through my head. Like she knew how much I was hurting.

"Oh…Sorry I just forgot I had something to take care of."

She stayed silent for a bit, letting my lie hang heavy in the air. "I understand. I'll see you tomorrow?"

I stayed perfectly still, weighing my response. I took a slow, drawn breath hoping it would lessen the pressure on my chest. It did nothing.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."


End file.
